


Haunted

by dentedsky



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Brothers, Haunted Houses, Horror, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-12-26
Updated: 2005-12-26
Packaged: 2018-10-19 15:38:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10642866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dentedsky/pseuds/dentedsky
Summary: Cloud and his three brothers inherit a mansion in Nibelheim. They decide to stay there over Christmas, only someone is still living there... someone who doesn't want Cloud to leave...





	

**Author's Note:**

> Reposting this old 2006 fic to AO3

 

**Chapter One: Inheritance**

The four brothers sat on one side of the long, glossy table. The lawyer, a fat, balding man, sat at the head, reading through their father's will in a bored monotone.

"To the Science Association, ten million gil. To the Association of Genetic Research, fifteen million gil..."

Loz yawned loudly. Cloud and Yazoo stared at the wall. Kadaj made a loud, impatient noise.

"To the Shinra Department of Research and Development, ten million gil – "

"God, shut up!" cursed Kadaj, typical teenager. Cloud glared at him. "Just tell us what that SOB left us."

The lawyer paused and glared over the top of the file.

"To his four sons, Loz, Cloud, Yazoo and Kadaj, two million gil."

Loz leaned forward threateningly. "Come again?"

"That is to say, five hundred thousand gil each."

Loz slammed his fist on the table. Yazoo started to get up to leave. "Did he leave us anything else?" Kadaj demanded.

The lawyer flicked through his file. "An estate in Nibelheim."

"I can't believe I actually missed school for this," Kadaj muttered.

"Let me have a look at that," Cloud told the lawyer.

The lawyer checked his watch and passed the file over to Cloud. Then he left the room without another word.

Yazoo leant against the wall, waiting. Kadaj and Loz leant into Cloud to read the file.

"Nibelheim's largest and finest mansion," Cloud read aloud, "once owned by the Shinra Electric Company and donated to one of their best employees, Tamachi Hojo."

"How generous," Kadaj sneered.

There was an old black-and-white photo of a large mansion with a large front garden and stone porch.

Loz glanced at Cloud. "Maybe we could sell it for a nice price."

The four brothers zipped up their leather jackets as they walked across the legal building's car park. Yazoo mounted his bike without a word and sped off. Kadaj got on his own motorbike and glanced at Cloud. "I'm going to the mall, Brother. See you."

"Be back in time for dinner," Cloud called after him as he too, sped off.

Cloud turned to Loz. "Let's go home."

Loz shook his head. "I'm going to follow Yazoo."

Cloud frowned at him. "How? He's long gone."

Loz mounted his motorbike and started up the engine. "I have a feeling I know where he's gone. Coming, Brother?"

At first, Cloud hadn't understood why his three brothers referred to him as 'Brother' when they called each other by their own names. Cloud had thought it had been a mockery, but now, as he sped down the road after Loz, he realised it was a term of endearment.

Cloud Strife (he had kept his mother's maiden name) was only Loz, Yazoo and Kadaj's half-brother. Cloud had a different mother to his three brothers, and when Cloud's mother had died, he had sought after his only remaining family, bar his father, in Midgar.

The three had welcomed him, which came to Cloud as a surprise. The four brothers rented a house together in Midgar Sector Seven, and have lived there for five years. Out of the four, Loz was the eldest, with Cloud a year younger, then Yazoo was twenty years old and Kadaj sixteen. Cloud had blonde hair and blue eyes, different from his three brothers' silver hair and bright green eyes. But the four retained their father's striking Wutaian good looks. They also had one other thing in common: all four brothers loathed their father.

Tamachi Hojo had been head of the Shinra Department of Experimental Science, and had been practically married to his work. Cloud didn't remember much of him – Cloud's mother had been Hojo's 'little thing on the side'. However, Loz and Yazoo did remember him, somewhat, Kadaj being too young. They described him as a horrible man without a paternal bone in his frail body.

Loz turned into a road Cloud recognised – he had only been there that morning, heading to their father's funeral. Which meant, they were heading to the City Cemetery.

They parked at the gates, and silently walked into the cemetery. It didn't take long to find Yazoo – he was standing over the newly made grave of Tamachi Hojo.

The two brothers stopped under the shadow of a tree and watched Yazoo from a distance. They watched Yazoo stare down at the grave for a moment, before Cloud heard the sound of Yazoo unzipping his fly.

For a small time, Cloud and Loz listened to the whizzing sound of Yazoo pissing on their father's grave.

Cloud decided to bring up the subject of the mansion at dinner that night.

"I think we should go there," said Cloud.

Kadaj shot him an incredulous look. Loz looked contemplative.

"We should definitely check it out," said Loz; "see if we can get a good price on it."

Cloud was hesitant about selling the place. In his mind, he was already making plans to fix the mansion up, maybe live there one day. He had spent his childhood in Nibelheim with his mother and had a fondness for the town. Besides, he couldn't live in Midgar forever, could he?

"We could go there this weekend," he said. "Maybe spend Christmas there."

The three other brothers stopped eating and stared at him.

Cloud shrugged. "Kadaj has school break in a week, and we've got time off work..."

Kadaj's fork clattered loudly as he dropped it on his plate. "Uh-uh, no way," he protested. "I am _not_ spending my holidays in some hick town in some dusty old man's house! Besides, I'm going to a party this Saturday -"

"I have to work Friday night," added Loz, who started to eat again.

Yazoo sighed.

"Besides," said Kadaj, "aren't you forgetting something, Brother? None of us own cars. How are we supposed to get our luggage out to friggen' Woop-woop? Hire a _van_?" he added with a scoff.

Cloud paused and exchanged a glance with Loz.

"I should have kept my stupid mouth shut," Kadaj moaned a week later, as he dragged his suitcase down the front steps to the waiting white van.

"Heh, you live and learn," Loz chuckled.

It was several hours drive to Junon, then several more hours on the ferry to Costa Del Sol, where Loz insisted they stay the night and 'eye up the hunnies'. Then it was a few more hours through Gongaga territory and then to the small town of Nibelheim.

After a few directions from the locals the white van was moving up the long, steep driveway to what the town called The Shinra Mansion.

It was a large, ghastly building overgrown with vines and weeds, the porch covered in dead leaves, the windows at the front shattered from long-ago vandals. It seemed to tower over the calm town in glowering malevolence, its garden ornaments moss-covered and cracked.

Kadaj dropped his suitcase on the garden path and sneered up at it. "Geez, what a dump!"

"Maybe we should stay at a hotel tonight," said Yazoo in agreement.

Cloud kept silent. He was having mixed feelings.

The place did look ominous and dark, like something out of a haunted house horror movie. But as the wind blew through his tousled blonde hair, he felt a small smile tug at his lips. The house was intriguing, like a mystery or a puzzle. He could almost hear it call to him as he carried luggage past his gawking brothers and onto the porch.

He reached into his pocket for the large key. With a deep breath he pushed the key into the keyhole and turned.

The heavy door opened with a loud creak.

He pushed it all the way open and walked inside, into a dim foyer. Kadaj shoved past him and gaped at the room openly. There were two doors off to the left and right, and one straight ahead. Then there was also two extravagant sets of stairs leading up to the second floor. Some of the ceiling had caved in at the back.

Loz and Yazoo had walked in at some point during Cloud's observation. The fours brothers were silent.

" _Who dare disturb my slumber?"_ rasped an echoing voice.

Cloud spun around and stared at his brothers. "Did you hear that?" he whispered.

Loz raised an eyebrow. "Hear what?"

Cloud turned back around and gazed up the stairs, as if expecting... what? There was nothing here, he told himself. It's just an old, creepy house.

"Can we go now?" Kadaj whined. "I'm hungry, and I refuse to stay here. Look," he added, kicking at the marble floor, "the dust here is three inches deep!"

"Fine," said Loz, "let's go book into a hotel."

"I'm staying here," whispered Cloud, surprising himself.

"No way, Brother," said Kadaj. "You'll suffocate in your sleep from all the dust."

"Kadaj's right," said Loz. "First thing tomorrow morning we'll come back and start fixing up the place."

As Kadaj and Loz were walking out, Yazoo came to Cloud and put a hand on his arm. Cloud slowly tore his eyes away from the stairs and focused on his brother.

"I understand," said Yazoo. "But sometimes secrets need to stay buried."

Cloud awoke in the early morning. He crept from his hotel room and went out to the corridor.

He leaned against the cold window and stared out. It was snowing.

He could see the courtyard of the hotel, but in the distance, over a few rooftops, the mansion stood dark against the Nibelheim's mountains.

The mansion had been an almost-legend even when Cloud was a child and he was living in the town. The other children would try to scare him; they'd tell him that if you touched the gate, you instantly died. They said an evil vampire lived there, who would drink the blood of curious children. Rumour had it the mansion would moan, and whisper to any trespassers before swallowing them whole. Then there was the boys down the road, who swore the mansion had moved overnight, that it often moved by itself. The stories had been frightening to a child's mind; but now, Cloud realised they were absolutely ridiculous.

It was just a house, nothing more.

"Hey, Brother."

Cloud looked over his shoulder. Yazoo had exited his room and was coming to stand next to Cloud. Cloud watched him pull his over-sized jumper over his thin wrists.

Yazoo was the thinnest and most effeminate of the four, with slim limbs and long silver hair past his shoulders. He leant on the window and stared out, his breath fogging the glass.

"You used to live here," said Yazoo softly. "Did you like it here?"

Cloud glanced at him sideways. "I did, though I didn't have any friends."

"Hn!" Yazoo half-laughed. "Somehow, I'm not surprised."

Cloud shot him a look, but Yazoo only smirked.

"It's snowing," said Yazoo unnecessarily.

Cloud nodded, and they were silent for a moment. There was an orange glow coming over the mountains; it was dawn.

Yazoo broke the silence. "I like it here too," he said. "I like the mansion. But when we were in there earlier, I got the feeling..."

"...The feeling you were being watched?"

Yazoo hummed. "Yes."

Cloud closed his eyes. "It's not real."

Yazoo looked at him. "Oh, it's very real. There is something alive in that house."

Cloud stepped away. "I'm going back to bed; we have a long day ahead of us."

"Would you listen if I advised you against living here?" murmured Yazoo, as Cloud opened the door to his room.

"No," answered Cloud.

Yazoo crossed his arms and stared out the window. "I didn't think so," he whispered.

Gossip ran quickly in a small town. By the time Kadaj excitedly stepped out into the snowy street intent on making snow angels, all the locals knew about a mysterious quartet from Midgar, who had inherited the Shinra Mansion.

Word spread through the intricate network of bored housewives that the four were brothers, and that all four were very good looking. What's more, they all wore black leather like some strange and kinky rock band.

As soon as Kadaj stepped out of the snow, laughing, he was accosted by a giggling mass of teenaged girls.

Kadaj's expression was positively comical to Cloud, then, who was watching from the door to the inn. The girls were only a few metres away, scrutinising – Kadaj stopped in the street, mouth hanging open, gobsmacked, before he slowly smirked and practically _sauntered_ over to the girls.

Kadaj never got that much attention in the city.

Kadaj never got that much attention, full stop.

Cloud hung his head and groaned in embarrassment. He wondered if Kadaj would get offended if Cloud told everyone they weren't related.

At that point Loz shoved past Cloud grouchily, as he usually was in the mornings. He trudged out to their van and threw their bags in the back. Then he turned around and froze.

There was a large group of housewives on the corner of the street, staring at him. A couple of them waved.

It was Yazoo's turn to leave the inn. He stopped next to Cloud and watched the scene. Then his cheeks turned pink as a few of the older girls near the teenagers eyed him up.

"Can we go now?" Yazoo muttered to Cloud.

"God, yes," answered Cloud.

It took some time to tear Kadaj away from the girls, but finally the brothers were all in the van and heading back to their mansion.

The rest of the day was spent cleaning – they swept all the dust away in the foyer. They decided to do the bedrooms and bathrooms in the East Wing first, and then isolate the area from the rest of the house.

At one point, Yazoo stopped to stare up at the ceiling in the foyer.

"The chandelier's covered with cobwebs. How are we supposed to get up there to clean it?"

That was when Loz suggested Yazoo stand on his shoulders while Yazoo reached with the broom. Cloud said they should just hire a ladder, but at that point Kadaj was helping Yazoo onto Loz's shoulders and they were having entirely too much fun for it to be considered cleaning.

That night Cloud, exhausted, fell fast asleep as soon as he hit his new bed.

But, he dreamed all the same.

In the dream, he was in the mansion, stepping into the foyer lit with floating candles. He was wearing a dinner suit, his hair styled and tamed and his black shoes shiny.

There was music. It was soft and classic, yet sad and romantic. It tugged at something deep within Cloud's heart.

He looked up. On the stairs was a man.

He too wore a smart suit, his hair long and black and his face pale. He was watching Cloud with sharp, red eyes.

"This song..." said Cloud.

The man slowly walked down the stairs. "Don't you recognise it?" he asked. His voice was a deep thrum that sent shivers down Cloud's spine.

Cloud glanced to the side. "My mother used to play this to me when I was young..." He frowned. "On her piano."

The man nodded. As he reached the last stair he held out a hand to Cloud. "Dance with me?"

Cloud stepped forward and reached out to take the man's hand. Cloud looked into his face as their palms touched. "Who are you?" he whispered.

"This house is haunted."

Cloud awoke with a start.

"I'm sorry I woke you, Brother, but this house is haunted."

Cloud took a deep breath and glanced at the shadow in the doorway. "Kadaj, what's wrong?"

The figure in the doorway hesitated for a moment. "Can I sleep with you tonight?" said Kadaj eventually. "I usually sleep with Yazoo," he dithered, "but Yazoo went to sleep with Loz, and their bed's not big enough and anyway, I don't like sleeping with Loz because he makes fun of me."

Cloud felt a small stab of jealousy. "You sleep with Yazoo?"

"Not much anymore," said Kadaj, closing the door and creeping forward. "Just when I can't sleep."

"I see," said Cloud. He pulled the bed covers back and made room for his little brother. "You can stay here and tell me what's wrong."

Kadaj slipped in. "Nothing's wrong, this house just makes weird noises. And there's a ghost. But I'm not scared!"

Kadaj rolled over onto his side, back to Cloud. Cloud shifted and put his arm around Kadaj's waist.

"Tell me a bedtime story, Brother."

Cloud sighed. Kadaj was a teenager and Cloud knew that teenagers liked to act grown up most of the time. But sometimes, late at night, they let their guard down and became children again.

"Okay," said Cloud. "Once upon a time there was a beautiful girl named Belle – "

"Oooh, I like this story!"

"One day her father left her village to go to the next town. Even though he left in the day, he got lost in the woods on the way there. By nightfall he was cold and hungry. He came across a big castle and he let himself inside, because there was a warm fire and he was very cold.

"However, the castle was owned by an angry beast. The beast did not like intruders, so he locked Belle's father in a cell and only fed him scraps and chicken bones.

"When Belle got word that her father had not made it to the next town, she decided to go and search for her missing father. She came across the same castle and let herself in. There she met the beast – "

"And they fell in love!"

"Not just yet. The beast led her to her father. Even when Belle pleaded, begged and argued, the beast refused to let her father go. So Belle gave the beast an ultimatum. 'Please let my father go,' she said, 'and you can take me in his place.' The beast agreed..."

It was about the middle of Cloud's story when Kadaj finally fell asleep. Cloud buried his face in his brother's hair, and he too, slept.

 

* * *

**Chapter 2: Safe**

* * *

 

 

Cloud left in the early morning to go buy Christmas groceries, even though they didn't have a fridge yet. When he came back into the house and looked up the stairs, he nearly had a heart attack – there was a dark haired man on the top landing.

He stared up, his heart beating so fast and his brain ranting: _Is it him? Is it him? Is it the man from my dream?_

It wasn't.

It was a man with spiky black hair. He had tools around him near his feet, including a chainsaw. He stood, inspecting the caved in window and wall in the back.

"Hi!" he said enthusiastically, when he saw Cloud, who had his arms full of groceries. Cloud walked up the stairs to greet him. "You must be Cloud," the man chatted. "Your brother Loz said you were 'the blonde one'; I didn't understand what he meant but I get it now, ha!"

"Hi," said Cloud. "Who are you?"

"I'm Zack, the builder." He held out his hand, then realised Cloud didn't have a free hand to shake it. Zack hesitantly pulled his hand back. He turned back to the damage, where a tree had toppled over and smashed into the house. "I'm going to cut the tree in half, that way it will be easier to move it. I think it was recent – which is a good thing – hopefully you won't get termites. Then I'll fix the panelling, then I'll do this window and the other smashed windows." He turned back to Cloud and grinned widely. "What do you think?"

Cloud shifted his weight to the other foot. "Um, good."

Zack nodded, satisfied.

There was an awkward moment where they sort of stared at each other, scrutinising the other.

"I..." said Cloud. "I better go put these away." He held up the groceries slightly to emphasise his point.

"Um," dithered Zack, "yeah, okay."

Cloud turned to go, but Zack said, "Wait!" Cloud turned back around.

"Do you want to – to go to the pub with me tonight?" asked Zack. "I mean, you're new to the town, aren't you? We could go out and meet some people, have a good time?"

Zack was watching Cloud strangely and then Cloud realised, quite belatedly, that Zack was asking him out.

Cloud blinked at him and said nothing.

"No biggy," Zack persisted, "we'll just have a few drinks and talk, have some fun, you know?"

A thought occurred to Cloud, and he suddenly and frustratingly needed to talk to Loz. Or bash his head in. Either way.

"I, um," said Cloud, "alright."

Zack beamed at him. "Cool! Well, I'll just chop this bugger in half," he indicated the tree, "then go write up a quote, then I'll pick you up at – "

They were interrupted by a sudden, harsh and loud gust of wind. "Whoa!" said Zack. "We really need to patch this baby up; there's a storm brewing."

Cloud looked behind him; he realised, for a horrifying moment, that the wind hadn't come from outside.

It had come from _in the house._

"So I'll pick you up at seven?" said Zack, when the wind had died down.

"Uh, okay," said Cloud.

He went back down the stairs and headed to the kitchen as Zack started up the chainsaw.

Loz was in the kitchen, sitting at the table and pretending to read a newspaper. He was chuckling.

Cloud dumped the groceries on the bench and turned to Loz, absolutely furious.

Loz grinned up at him. "So, have you got a date tonight?"

" _You,_ " said Cloud incoherently, "DEAD."

Cloud lunged at him and threw the table aside; Loz laughed and dodged a punch.

They sparred. Cloud punched, Loz blocked. "Oh _come on_ ," said Loz as he blocked Cloud's spinning kick, "you should be _thanking_ me."

Cloud threw a punch that missed Loz's head by an inch. Cloud ended up punching the wall instead, cracking and chipping the brick.

Loz retreated to the corner, putting the solid kitchen bench between them. "What did you say to him?" Cloud demanded. "'Oh, by the way, I have a gay blonde brother; you two would make a swell pair.'?"

"Um, yeah, pretty much... exactly like that!"

Cloud growled and hauled himself over the bench, sliding over to Loz's side.

Quick as a flash Cloud opened a draw and pulled out the butcher's knife; Loz grabbed a large stainless steel pan. Loz smirked. Cloud sneered.

Cloud swiped several times in quick succession, Loz deflecting with the pan. Shards of light glinted off the metal as they hit.

Then Loz got a hit in with the pan; Cloud used his sudden vulnerability to throw the knife – Loz ducked and it hit the wall, embedded.

Loz picked Cloud up and threw him across the room. He crashed into the little kitchen table he had thrown earlier. It smashed.

Cloud glared up at Loz, who was coming towards him. "Good one," said Cloud as he picked a splinter from his hair, "that was _antique._ "

Loz _tch_ 'd and picked Cloud up yet again and threw him on the bench. In split second, he was there, on Cloud with Cloud's back to the surface, Loz in his face and Loz's leg between his thighs.

Loz held both of Cloud's wrists against the bench with one hand; with the other he grabbed Cloud's jaw.

"You're not as good as Yazoo," said Loz, examining Cloud's face. "You lasted longer than Kadaj; but I'm afraid you're looking to be just as bad."

Cloud rolled his eyes, adjusted himself, and kneed Loz hard in the balls. Loz crumpled to the ground.

Cloud looked down at him stoically. "Don't ever say I'm as bad as Kadaj."

"Hey guys I'm done with that so – " Zack walked into the kitchen and froze. He surveyed the room. An almost-hole in the wall, a butcher's knife sticking out of another wall, the table smashed and Cloud standing with Loz a groaning heap at his feet. "Um... so, I'll just be, er... going?"

Loz grunted something incoherent. Cloud looked around and shrugged at Zack. "We had a domestic. I'll show you to the door."

Zack nodded. "Totally understand," he said as they made their way through the foyer; "I was in the army."

Cloud said nothing. He opened the door for Zack.

"So I'll see you tonight?" asked Zack, his voice wavering with uncertainty.

Cloud looked at him for a moment. The mansion, for no reason Cloud to see, started to shake as if in an earthquake.

Dust, forced away by the vibrations, fell from the ceiling.

Zack was looking concerned. Cloud said, "Sure, can't wait."

Zack beamed at him and left.

The house was still vibrating when Cloud went back into the kitchen. Loz had completely recovered and was cleaning up the damage.

"The mansion is shaking," said Loz as he pulled the knife from the wall.

"I noticed," said Cloud.

Loz turned and grinned crookedly at him. "Heh, so you excited about tonight?"

Cloud looked away and crossed his arms. "I... yes, I'm excited."

The mansion groaned long and loud, suddenly.

Then the kitchen taps turned on full ball, bloody water spilling out and splashing on the floor.

There was a loud, piercing scream.

Loz made some comment about the mansion not liking Cloud's new boyfriend very much, but Cloud wasn't listening. He sped out the room with the single thought: _Kadaj._

Kadaj met Cloud half way down the corridor, still screaming his head off. They couldn't stop running in time, and ran into each other.

Kadaj was covered head-to-toe in bloody water, a white (turning red) towel around his hips.

He stomped his foot and glared at Cloud. "I HATE this stupid house, Brother, I want to _leave_ \- look at me! There's blood coming out of the shower, for God's sake!"

Cloud, relieved Kadaj was okay, grabbed his brother's arm and steered him back to the bathroom.

He left Kadaj in the doorway and quickly turned off all the taps and shower. Then he re-turned the shower on – it spluttered red for a moment, then went back to clear.

Loz came in just as Cloud was checking the temperature. "Come here," Cloud said to Kadaj, as he grabbed his arm. He steered his little brother to the shower and shoved Kadaj's head under the water.

Kadaj was protesting the manhandling. "Oh, my beautiful hair! I can't believe – argh! – we are spending Christmas – ow! – in this shithole. I hate it, I hate you all – oh my god, my towel is slipping – "

"Nothing I haven't seen before," Cloud murmured.

"Nothing you haven't – YOU HAVE NOT SEEN ME NAKED!"

"Guess what, Kadaj," said Loz conversationally, "Brother's got a date tonight with Bob the Builder."

"That's great," said Kadaj sarcastically, "then maybe next time you can hire a gay plumber to fix our gay taps!"

"I don't know," said Loz in contemplation, "I kinda like you as a redhead."

Kadaj moved away from the shower and Cloud and snarled at Loz like a crazy, pissed off cat. " _You,_ DEAD."

Loz ran out the door and Kadaj ran after him, screaming obscenities. Cloud followed intent on getting a share of the Kill Loz glory. They chased through corridors, rooms, up the stairs; and Loz was _laughing_ the whole time, the bastard.

The chase finally finished in one of the upstairs back rooms they hadn't bothered to clean yet, because of the sheer size of the cleaning job. There was furniture and junk tossed about the place, with some furniture covered with white sheets.

Cloud tackled Loz to the ground. They wrestled there, Loz laughing and Kadaj cheering Cloud on. Cloud's foot caught in a white sheet, and as he tumbled over the floor he took the sheet with him, tangled around his legs.

Loz ended up on top of Cloud, _again_ \- Cloud pinched him hard on his nipple and Loz yelped. Cloud pushed Loz off him easily and stood, ready to share a smirk with Kadaj –

But Cloud no longer had Kadaj's attention.

The teenager was staring at the object Cloud had accidentally pulled the sheet off.

It was a large, black safe.

Kadaj reached out a hand and caressed the door. "Check it out, Brother, I bet there's some great treasure in here! Finally, Father left us something of worth!"

Loz stood up and brushed himself off. "Knowing our father, it's probably full of the dead bodies of mutilated children."

"Ew," said Kadaj, pulling his hand away.

Cloud knew it was probably fruitless, but he tried the latch on the safe's door anyway. It wouldn't open.

"It's probably just full of mouldy old books," he said.

Kadaj sighed dramatically and put his hands on his hips. "Well, I'm going to have a _proper_ shower, and then I'm going into town to hang with my hunnies. In the meantime, you two can hire a plumber _and_ and an electrician so when Yazoo comes back with a fridge it will work properly." Then he sauntered off.

Cloud glanced at the safe.

There were some things in life you knew without knowing how you came to know those things.

One thing Cloud did know, without knowing how or why he knew, was that he had to get that safe open.

Cloud and Zack did not stay long at the pub. There was a mass brawl in progress and after Zack's head had a near miss with a flying bar stool, they decided on a long walk in the snow.

"So is this your first time in Nibelheim?" asked Zack.

"No," answered Cloud, "I was born here. But I – we're around the same age, but I don't recognise you."

Zack laughed. "No I'm not from here; I'm from Gongaga. I just come to this town sometimes to get work. I like it here, but I like Gongaga better. So I'll finish your mansion and then go home for Christmas. It's why I," he glanced at Cloud, "asked you out so abruptly. I won't be here for very long."

"Oh," said Cloud, swallowing his disappointment. It seemed this thing he had with Zack, whatever it was, was temporary.

"No I mean – I wanted to ask you out while I got the chance, you know? I hope that, after Christmas, I'll come back here and we could spend more time together."

Cloud kicked at the snow. "I'm leaving on Boxing Day."

"Oh." It was Zack's turn to be disappointed. "You're from Midgar, right?"

"Yes. But I'd like to come back here, eventually."

Cloud told Zack the tentative plans he had, about how he owned a small delivery business in Midgar and thought about opening an extension of the business in Nibelheim, then eventually he could have a chain of delivery offices all over the world.

Their walk ended at a small tea house. They talked over tea; Zack was very chatty and also very easy to talk to.

"Legally Kadaj is under my care – he's the young, loud one," Cloud explained. Somehow the conversation had turned around to family.

"He's your adopted son?"

"Fostered son; adoption's a little harder to get and Kadaj didn't seem to care. Loz is older than me but it was harder for him to get custody of Kadaj because of his criminal record. He's violent."

Zack laughed. "Well after seeing your kitchen today, I don't doubt that."

"Yazoo's the quiet one. He – I think he remembers things from his childhood which Loz and Kadaj don't."

Zack frowned. "What kind of things?"

Cloud glanced down at his cooling tea. There were dreams he had, voices, images. They flickered in and out of his mind like butterflies. All four brothers had too much Mako in their blood than was healthy – only Cloud was unsure where he got it. Although, it was not uncommon for their generation to have a large quantity of Mako in their system. Cloud was sure Zack had a lot too, especially if he had been in the Shinra army, as he had mentioned earlier.

"I don't know," said Cloud, softly.

Zack walked Cloud to the gate of the mansion. "So," said Zack, "I'll see you tomorrow when I work on your mansion. Um." He looked at Cloud, their faces close.

Just as Zack leaned forward Cloud saw something out of the corner of his eye. In the upstairs window, a figure was watching him. It was – Cloud gasped –

It was the man from his dream, glaring down at them.

Cloud turned his face away from Zack's. "I'm sorry," he blurted. "I'm not used to this. I haven't – for a while..."

Zack leaned back. "I understand," he said quietly, though he wouldn't look Cloud in the eye. "See you," he said, and walked back to his utility truck.

Cloud looked back at the window.

The man was gone.

 

* * *

**Chapter 3: Piano**

* * *

 

 

The plumber didn't turn out to be gay; at least, Cloud didn't think he was. He was cranky man called Cid who smelled like cigarettes and whisky, and who swore and ranted constantly about his stupid mistress, Shera.

"Yeah," he said, "you've got a rust problem in the water tank in your yard. It's used as a back up, but it seemed to have gotten into your central water system. I'll have to go out and fix the fucker up."

He wiped his dirty hands on a rag and turned to Cloud. "I don't usually do this as a living, by the way. I'm a rocket scientist."

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "In that case, could you have a look at our fuse box? The lights in this house have been flickering strangely."

Cid grimaced. "Yeah alright, but it'll cost ya." Then he muttered under his breath: "Dumb spiky-arse punk kid."

The next few days came and went in a torrid snow storm. The brothers managed to clean the whole house at least; Yazoo and Kadaj even put up new curtains and Christmas decorations. The tree was put up and decorated.

Cloud took Kadaj on a little road trip around the town and pointed out the house he had grown up in, as well as the other little nooks and crannies Cloud used to go to, and the bridge that had fallen. Cloud told him the story about Tifa hurting herself so badly she wouldn't wake up for a month.

"So let me get this straight," Kadaj had said, as they stared at the repaired bridge, "did you like it here or not?"

Cloud shrugged. "What does it matter? I like it here _now_."

Both Zack and Cid worked silently in the mansion. Cid did not want to talk to the strange brothers, and it seemed Zack avoided Cloud at all costs.

Both tradesman were finished and paid on the day before Christmas Eve.

That night Cloud dreamt, again.

In this dream he was walking to the back room in the East Wing. It was a small, unused office full of old stationary and books, and a strange door in the corner.

The man was sitting at the desk; his long draped over the chair and his eyes focused on the book he was reading.

Cloud slowly walked into the room and stared. He asked, "What are you reading?"

The man looked up and closed the book. He turned it so Cloud could see the front cover. It read: _The Art of Memory Modification._

Cloud tilted his head. The soft, beautiful music from his last dream was playing. "This music... Is it your doing?"

He stared at Cloud with red eyes. "No, that's someone else."

Cloud woke up.

He then heard the music – it was soft, familiar melody that was being played someone else in the house. He got up and put his dressing gown on, then followed the music all the way up the stairs and to the West Wing.

Yazoo was sitting at the piano in one of the least used rooms. He was playing the tune, but stopped when he saw Cloud.

Cloud went over and sat on the long piano stool with him. "Don't you ever sleep?" asked Cloud.

"I can't sleep," said Yazoo, "because I dream too much."

"What do you dream about?"

The moonlight was coming in through the window, turning everything into shades of silver. Yazoo started needling the keys again to the tune of the Highwind theme song. "Tonight I dreamed about a winding staircase," he told Cloud. "The stairs were made of wood and much of it had collapsed. It was dark."

Cloud stared at him. "Where do the stairs lead to?"

Yazoo stopped playing, but didn't look at him. "I don't remember."

"You mean," said Cloud tentatively, "you don't remember your dream, or you don't remember...?"

"I remember the dream."

Cloud turned in his seat and faced Yazoo, looking at his brother with some alarm. "Yazoo," he said slowly, "have you been in this house before?"

Yazoo glanced at Cloud's lap, before finally moving his gaze up to Cloud's eyes. "Like I told you before, Brother," he murmured, "sometimes secrets need to stay buried."

Yazoo put his fingers on the keys again. "How about we play together, Brother, like we used to? We could play that song you taught me."

"Okay," said Cloud, turning in his seat to the piano and putting his fingers to the keys. "What was it called again?"

"Has it been that long? Well, I believe it's called 'Prelude'."

"Prelude..." Cloud murmured. "Prelude to what?"

"I don't know," said Yazoo. "Prelude to life, or death, or perhaps just a prelude to another song."

"Okay," said Cloud again. "You start."

Yazoo started the quick notes of the beginning of the song. Even with its simple start the notes seemed to pull sadness and despair from Cloud's soul, had him frozen in his seat waiting for a tear to drop.

Cloud got ready to come in to the song. He did at the right moment – his memory conjuring the notes and sending the message to his fingers. The piano was a difficult instrument to use for this song; with its long notes an organ would be better, although a piano had a beautiful sound to better create the heartbreaking song.

They played in tune and worked well together. They ended the song –

The piano lid burst open with a flurry of old dust.

It was almost like an explosion – one second Yazoo and Cloud were sitting at the piano, the next they were falling backwards as the stool toppled over.

The lay on their backs under the cloud of dust. Cloud heard Yazoo coughing and Cloud was gasping himself. He stared up as the dust cleared – there was something white, floating in the air above him.

He exhaled and his eyes widened. He reached up with an arm and caught the floating piece of paper from the air.

He sat up, holding the paper gently in his cupped hands.

Yazoo sat up too and looked at him. "What is it?"

Cloud unwrapped the folded, yellowed paper. It read:

"RIGHT 54 LEFT 34 RIGHT 46 RIGHT 32."

"It's a code," Cloud told Yazoo.

Yazoo leant into Cloud to read. He hummed.

Cloud suddenly jumped up and half-ran to the next room, Yazoo following. They stopped in front of the large black safe.

"I'm surprised Loz didn't blow it open with his gun when he had the chance," said Yazoo.

Cloud whipped his head around to stare at Yazoo. "Loz has a gun? I thought he got rid of it!"

Yazoo looked faintly alarmed. "He probably did. Who cares?"

"I care. Last time he used it he got arrested. And I don't want a gun in the same house as Kadaj," he added.

"Kadaj can look after himself," said Yazoo. He twirled a strand of silver hair around his finger and looked bored.

"Kadaj is sixteen," said Cloud angrily, "and he's my responsibility."

Yazoo clicked his tongue. "You think that code will open the safe?" he asked, blatantly changing the subject.

Cloud sighed and let it go. He placed his hand on the round lock. "Only one way to find out."

"Wait," said Yazoo. "Look, there's a timer on this thing. Give me the paper and I'll read the code to you."

Cloud obliged. Yazoo barked out the code as Cloud quickly turned the dial. The timer only gave Cloud twenty seconds and getting the right code was difficult; but together they managed it and once the code was in, the timer stopped.

Cloud reached for the handle and pulled the door open.

It was dark inside the safe. Cloud could practically smell the stale air that had been locked inside for so long. They peered inside.

"There's nothing in there," sneered Yazoo.

"There is," Cloud countered. He leaned forward and reached for the small black object on the bottom of the safe.

It was a key on a silver chain.

Yazoo pursed his lips. "So much for Kadaj's buried treasure. The key will probably lead to a box, which will have a key that will open a chest, which will have the co-ordinates to the piano."

Cloud slipped the chain over his head and around his neck. He hid the hanging key under his shirt.

Yazoo raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

*

Christmas Eve. Cloud rubbed a hand through his hair and contemplated stuffing the turkey. He really didn't want to put his hand up there.

Loz walked into the kitchen and smacked Cloud on the bum. "You look cute in an apron, Brother."

"Touch my arse again and I'll kick yours," Cloud threatened. He put on long, plastic gloves, picked up the stuffing from the bowl, and shoved it into the turkey.

"Oohh," Loz moaned, "that's hot!"

Kadaj and Yazoo walked into the room. "What's hot?" asked Kadaj.

"Nothing," said Cloud.

Kadaj blew hair out of his face. "Okay I admit it: I'm bored. Somebody entertain me."

"Perhaps you could do some more cleaning," Cloud suggested, "or help me with dinner. Or you could catch up on some study – I heard you got a C on your History exam."

Kadaj made an angry, disbelieving noise. "You want me to do homework on Christmas Eve? Are you mad?"

Cloud pulled his arm out of the turkey's arse and turned to Loz. "Are you just going to stand there laughing, or are you going to give me a hand?"

This question only made Loz laugh harder.

"Fine, that's it," said Cloud tiredly. "Everyone out of the kitchen. Now."

"Be that way, then," Kadaj pouted. "C'mon, Yazoo, let's play Hide and Seek."

" _How_ old are you again?" Yazoo murmured as he followed Kadaj out.

Cloud had finished cooking a few hours later. He had the turkey prepared for when it was to be cooked the next day, and he had that night's dinner on the stove to keep warm.

He found it both fascinating and irritating that when he didn't want his brothers around, there were there. However, when he needed them, they seemed to be no where in sight.

He went searching for them around the house. He finally found all three in the study from his dream. Loz had evidently found Hojo's secret liquor stash; he was leaning back in the desk chair. Kadaj was singing and dancing like a lunatic. Yazoo was sitting in a corner reading.

Cloud glared at Loz. "Did you give Kadaj alcohol?"

"Nope," said Loz, "that's the funniest bit!"

Kadaj crossed his arms and scowled at Cloud. "I _told_ you I was bored!" He went over to the desk and laid down on it.

"Dinner's ready," said Cloud. Then his eye caught something on the bookshelf near Yazoo. "That's strange..." he whispered.

Yazoo looked up. "What is?"

Cloud walked over to the bookshelf and touched a book entitled _The Art of Memory Modification._ "This book is in the wrong place," he finally answered. There was a long series of encyclopaedia volumes all with brown leather covers. However, the misplaced book was hardback and blue, and in between Volume H to J and Volume K to L.

There was a sudden loud creak when the tried to pull the book off the shelf. The large door on the other side of the room had slid open.

All brothers straightened and stared.

"Man this place is weird," Kadaj commented.

Cloud walked forward and looked into the darkness, past the nearly opened door. "Oh..." he gasped.

"What is it?" Kadaj demanded as both Loz and Yazoo grabbed lanterns.

"A winding staircase," Cloud whispered, looking over his shoulder at Yazoo.

Yazoo said nothing, though he stared at Cloud. Cloud saw fear flicker in his eyes before he smoothed over his expression.

Wordlessly all four brothers grabbed a lantern each. The winding staircase seemed like a bottomless pit; the light of their lanterns would not reach the bottom.

Cloud stepped upon the first rickety, wooden stair. It was like descending into the bowel of a large monster – all terrible smell and darkness. Kadaj followed him and threaded his fingers with Cloud's. Yazoo followed Kadaj with Loz bringing up the rear.

"Did I ever tell any of you that I'm not big on adventures?" said Loz, his voice almost quavering. If Loz is fearful, thought Cloud, then there's no chance any of us can be brave.

"I love adventures," Kadaj retorted, ever confident.

They stepped down further into the darkness, until they could no longer see the light from the room above them. Kadaj's hand was sweaty yet cold; Cloud held on as best he could, even when he slipped, or his foot went through a floorboard.

They finally made it to the bottom, where the cave reached out into more darkness. The corridor seemed unmade, just a tunnel in rock, with litter on the edges: bones, bottles, cans of expired materials.

Kadaj broke the silence with a disgusted hum. The four brothers moved forward towards the door at the end of the corridor. When they got there, Cloud found a torch in the wall and lit it with a Fire spell. Once the torch flickered to life, its brothers around the room too lit up and the room was flooded with golden light.

They looked around and saw a science lab and library. It was their father's workroom.

Kadaj made another disgusted, distressed noise in the back of his throat.

"I agree," murmured Loz.

"Jesus," exclaimed Kadaj, "was someone actually _in there?_ " He was looking to their right into the corner, where two glass human-sized test tubes stood, hooked up to several machines and unused monitors. One of the glass cylinders had been smashed, and the other had its door open. There were mako and blood stains all over the floor.

Cloud had a flash in his mind, suddenly – a quick pain that only lasted a second but managed to take his breath away. He shut his eyes and clutched his head.

Yazoo put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Cloud opened his eyes and saw that Kadaj and Loz had moved to the bookshelves and desks to the left. "No, I..." said Cloud. "Something about this place – "

"But I told you, didn't I?" interrupted Yazoo. His expression was sharp with growing anger but his voice was low and soft. "Some secrets need to stay buried."

"Yazoo," sighed Cloud, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"'He is the greatest assassin that ever lived'," Kadaj suddenly spoke up from the other side of the room. He was reading from a tattered leather-bound book. "'He could kill a man with one shot of his gun, or take off his head with one sweep of his claw. He was the best of the Turks and I made him better. He is the ultimate weapon, but he carries one weakness – "

"Kadaj, what the hell are you reading?" asked Loz, who was silently reading a book of his own.

"Father's diary," Kadaj answered blithely. "'His weakness,'" Kadaj continued, "'was founded by his heart's desire to love. He contained in his new, demon body the heart of a human unworthy. Under anaesthetic and other narcotics he confided in me the search for his 'light'. He said the Light would bring him ultimate freedom. This sounds similar to the Cetra's pilgrimage to the Promised Land - '"

"So that's what our father was doing," Loz murmured. "Instead of actually spending time with his children he was making up bogus theories about stupid legends like the Light and the Promised Land."

Yazoo walked past them to the corridor that led to more books and an office. He stopped at the mouth and looked over his shoulder at Loz. "He spent plenty of time with us."

"Yazoo," Loz snarled at him abruptly. Something was exchanged between them silently then, something Cloud could neither see nor hear. " _What the fuck is wrong with you?_ "

Yazoo turned to him. "What's wrong with me? _What's wrong with me?_ " Now Yazoo's voice was raised, which was rare for him. "I'll tell you what's wrong with me! I'm _upset_ because _you don't remember anything!_ " He stepped backward away from his brothers, and suddenly his voice was low and dangerous again, his mouth twisted into a smirk. "Neither of you remember Mother, either."

"I remember Mother," said Kadaj softly, hugging Hojo's diary to his chest. "She talks to me all the time."

"She does not, don't lie Kadaj!" Yazoo spat at him.

"She does so," said Kadaj miserably. "She tells me everything's going to be okay, and – "

"It's not real," said Yazoo, "that's not Mother talking to you; I'll prove it. Read that diary – the part about the Disaster from Heaven."

Cloud stepped forward then, because it looked as if Kadaj was about to cry. He had no idea what was going on at this point – their conversation seemed to dig so deep into their pasts that Cloud had no way to find them. "Yazoo," he said forcefully, "leave him alone."

Yazoo's eyes snapped to Cloud and widened as if he was surprised Cloud was still there. "Fuck off, Brother, you wouldn't understand because you're not like us."

Cloud clenched his jaw – that had stung. "Yazoo – "

"I SAID FUCK OFF!"

Cloud's breath was knocked out of him when it hit him in the chest – Yazoo had thrown a green Materia at him. Cloud staggered but didn't fall. The Materia hadn't hurt very much; it was more that Yazoo, his beautiful, sweet Yazoo, was pushing him away.

"Brother," commanded Loz, "you better go."

Cloud nodded and took one more look at a despaired Kadaj. "I'll be just outside the door."

He took a lantern and closed the heavy door behind him. Out in the corridor the air was cool and damp. Cloud wiped his eyes and found his cheeks were wet.

_You wouldn't understand because you're not like us._

Cloud leaned against the wall and thought about the times when Yazoo and Kadaj had their secret conversations, when Kadaj would whisper in Loz's ear or when Loz would laugh at something Yazoo had said and Cloud had not understood any of it. The sad thing was - even though the three brothers had accepted him into his little group - Cloud wasn't really one of them. They proved it everyday by never actually saying his name to his face, it was always Brother this, Brother that.

The other three brothers even looked like each other. They each had tattoos on their left arms of numbers, a trait Cloud had never found out the origin of.

Cloud stood in the half-dark and rubbed the back of his neck. That's when he felt the thick silver chain still around his neck. A second later he realised he wasn't leaning against the rough stone of the corridor, but hard wood.

He lifted the lantern used it to help him examine the wood. Yes, he thought, it's not a wall – it's another door! And there was a keyhole in the side...

Cloud took the key from around his neck and pushed it into the hole.

The heavy door opened to darkness.

 

* * *

**Chapter 4: Horizon**

* * *

 

 

Cloud stepped into the room.

It was draped in darkness and stale air, the walls lined with wide shelves and on those shelves –

Cloud stopped walking and stood still, his eyes scanned the room and his mind refused to believe. On the shelves and on the ground were coffins; grey, cobwebbed, dusty coffins. Oh god, thought Cloud – and even in his mind he hated to swear but he did it now - _it's a fucking tomb!_

How bizarre, that the key to a room in the lowest part of the mansion be in the highest part of the mansion. This place was not to be found – but it was also not to be lost forever.

The most gruesome thing about the tomb was that the majority of the coffins were open, at least part way. Cloud brought his hand up and ruffled the hair at the back of his head in hesitation as he stepped forward to inspect the coffins in the right wall. One on the floor was large and the lid was all the way off. The skeleton inside grinned up at him, its body a twisted mess. At least whoever this person had been had died before they had been locked in the room – Cloud could not say the same for the person in the coffin on one of the shelves. The carcass was locked in a position of leaving: its arm and head were curling out of the coffin, the hand gripping the bottom edge of the coffin and the mouth open in a long-dead scream. The person had pushed their way out of a _nailed_ coffin only to not make it all the way before they died.

Cloud kept one hand in his hair as he stepped back away from the scene. One coffin contained a person who seemed to have been mummified rather than rotted – it was obviously a pregnant woman.

There was so many, each one unique from the other. Cloud wondered about them, their lives, if they had deserved these horrid deaths. It was obvious most had been buried alive and it was no doubt that –

Cloud clenched his jaw.

Hojo, he thought.

Cloud turned to leave. It was turning out to be a pretty crappy day.

As he walked towards the still-open doorway, a breeze blew past him from within the room. Cloud froze and exhaled as the breeze ruffled his hair against the back of his neck.

He slowly turned his head around to catch the source, keeping his body still as he looked wide-eyed over his shoulder. He felt the wind turn on him and twist around him, summoning him back into the room like the pull of the ocean tide. He exhaled in quiet fear as the back of the room lit up slowly, like the ghost of a spotlight.

There was magic in the room, thick and inviting. Cloud's fear melted away and his eyes fluttered. He felt so sleepy, suddenly, as he turned towards the light and slowly walked towards it, back into the tomb. The light lit the only coffin in the room that had colour and was particularly well made.

There were whispers on the wind and Cloud shivered. He came to the strange coffin and stared down at it, then laid his hand on the lid and caressed the smooth surface. He pushed the lid so it slid away, and clattered loudly to the stone ground.

Cloud's breath quavered as he leaned forward and peered inside. A man lay in the coffin, perfectly formed and perfectly beautiful, his hair black and long, his face sharp and pale and his body wrapped in red.

Cloud leaned forward to get a closer look. It was _him_ it was the man from his dreams - !

The man's eyes snapped open.

Cloud gasped and jumped back as the man flew out of the coffin and hovered in the air. His head was tilted back, his long ebony hair undulating from the magic in the air. Cloud saw part of his throat not obscured by the red cape buckled around his shoulders. Cloud stood mesmerised.

"It's you..." said Cloud hoarsely. He cleared his throat. "Who are you?"

He slowly lowered his head to look at Cloud, his eyes sharp and focussed. "My name is Vincent Valentine, formally of the Turks."

Cloud nodded at him slowly, tentatively. "It's nice to meet you. My name's – "

"Cloud," interrupted Vincent. "I've been watching you." And before Cloud could respond or even react, Vincent was _there_ suddenly in a flash, right in front of Cloud. Then he had Cloud in his grip – his left arm around his waist and his golden claw pressed sharp against his lower back. Cloud inhaled on a gasp, mouth open as Vincent caressed Cloud's cheek with the soft fingers of his right hand.

Their faces were close. Vincent stared at Cloud's face openly, seeming to try and memorise every part of his face from eyebrows to chin. Vincent's hand curled into Cloud's hair just as Cloud curved his body into Vincent's. Cloud's breath was coming out in fast gasps, his eyes fluttering and his lips swelling with blood. Vincent's claws dug tighter into Cloud's lower back and Vincent's red cloak, as if with a mind of its own, curled around the two of them, the ends gently caressing Cloud's thighs and buttocks.

Vincent spoke. "You're everything I dreamed you to be, Cloud," he said softly. He moved his hand around back to Cloud face and pressed his thumb to Cloud's lower lip. He turned Cloud's head to the side slightly and leaned forward to whisper into Cloud's ear. "You are my Light, Cloud. You have brought me freedom and I will never let you go." Vincent dragged his lips against Cloud jaw, reaching Cloud's lips and kissing the corner of his mouth. Cloud blinked, trying not to faint.

"Oh," Cloud breathed, "you're so warm."

Vincent hummed against his mouth. "Did you suspect otherwise?"

There was a noise behind them, suddenly – the creak of the other door opening and closing – somebody whimpered. Cloud could not see behind him, Vincent would not let him. Vincent gripped Cloud so hard that Cloud could not move.

There was a growl from the tomb doorway. " _Step away from my brother,_ " threatened Loz. There was chink of metal and Cloud struggled in Vincent's grip. Vincent reluctantly lowered his right hand away from Cloud's jaw to allow Cloud to look over his shoulder.

Loz was glaring at them, eyes Mako bright. He held his gunblade aloft and pointed straight at them.

"Step away from my brother!" Loz repeated. Cloud was feeling such an array of emotions then: love for Loz for calling him _my brother_ , irritation towards Loz for interrupting him and Vincent, and anger at Loz for having a gunblade.

Anger won over. "I thought you told me you got rid of that gun, Loz!"

Loz gritted his teeth. "I don't think this is the time or place to be having another domestic, Brother!"

Someone whimpered again. Out in the corridor, in the shadows, Kadaj and Yazoo had their arms around each other like two scared little children. Cloud told himself to re-evaluate the situation – they were scared for him, all three brothers; so they loved him after all!

Vincent was curling his arm around Cloud's neck. Cloud glanced at his hand and inhaled sharply – Vincent was holding a gun of his own, pointing it at Loz. He had drawn it while the brothers were distracted.

Loz undid the safety on his gun. It clicked loudly in warning. "Let go of my brother or I'll blow your fucking head off."

There was no physical reaction from Vincent. "I don't think you have the authority to say that. Do you not know who I am?"

Kadaj whispered, "The greatest assassin that ever lived..."

Cloud looked at Loz pleadingly. "Loz, please, stand down."

Loz ignored him, his eyes trained on the ex-Turk. "I don't give a shit who you are. Step away."

Cloud turned back to Vincent. "Please," he whispered. "He's my brother."

Vincent glanced down at Cloud. His expression changed subtly to resignation. He kissed Cloud, quickly, softly, and sadly.

Cloud stepped away when Vincent lowered his revolver and loosened his grip. As soon as Cloud was one step away, Loz grabbed him; but Cloud could not tear his eyes away from the dark, still figure.

"Get behind me, Brother," Loz barked. "Kadaj! Take Yazoo, now."

"But – " Kadaj protested.

"Run, now!"

Kadaj did as he was told. He and Yazoo ran down the stone corridor and half-scrambled up the winding staircase. Vincent watched calmly even as Loz yanked Cloud through the door. They ran, following the younger brothers up the stairs.

Kadaj was breathing harshly in fear and exertion. Yazoo was sniffling. Loz, pumped with adrenaline, half dragged Cloud away from the basement, his expression a twisted scowl of fury. Wind blew from the basement, blowing up the chamber and ruffling their clothes and hair.

They made it to the study. Then they were running through the house and down the stairs. "The door's open!" Kadaj shouted in relief, but just as he was a metre away, it slammed shut.

They were standing frozen in the foyer, all was silent.

Almost as one all four brothers turned slowly and looked up at the top landing of the staircase. Vincent was standing there calmly.

Cloud stepped forward towards Vincent, though he was hindered – Loz still had a grip on his arm.

"Open the door!" Kadaj screamed at Vincent.

"Let us go," Loz agreed.

"Let _me_ go," countered Cloud to Loz, yanking his arm away.

Vincent slowly started to walk down the stairs towards them, his eyes glowing red. Yazoo whimpered and Kadaj held his hand tightly.

Cloud smoothed down his jumper in nervousness and gave Vincent another pleading look. "Vincent, please let me brothers out; it's me you want, not them."

"What!" Kadaj shrieked at the same time Loz shouted "No way!"

"Let my brothers go," said Cloud, "and I'll stay."

Vincent stopped on the stair; he seemed to be considering. Then with a deliberate nod, the door opened with a creak.

"Leave," Cloud commanded.

"No way," said Kadaj, "I'm not leaving without Big Brother!" But his protests went unheard as Loz, reconciled, steered Kadaj and Yazoo out the door.

Just as he was about to step outside, Loz looked over his shoulder at Cloud. "We won't be gone for long."

Cloud nodded at him.

And then the door was closed, and Cloud was alone in a dark mansion with a man who had previously been sleeping in a coffin.

Cloud looked up at him. He really was beautiful, in a dark, gothic way. Cloud suppressed the thought of sex and magic red cloaks and claws made of gold that could bring pain and pleasure to bare skin... Cloud swallowed.

"So," Cloud ventured, "how long have you been down there – er, I mean, how long have you been in the basement - ?"

"What year is it?" Vincent asked.

Cloud told him.

"Almost thirty years," said Vincent.

"Wow," wibbled Cloud. "Um, so I guess you must be pretty hungry. I'll go make us something to eat." He abruptly pivoted and headed for the kitchen.

He opened the fridge and pulled out two ready-made sushi lunch boxes. He heard Vincent walk into the kitchen. He placed the lunch boxes on the bench and felt Vincent press up against his back. He gripped the edge of the bench and exhaled shakily as Vincent put his arms around him.

He pressed his lips to the blonde's ear. "Could you show me... what it's like to be outside?"

"Of course," said Cloud softly turning in the circle of Vincent's arms. He looked up at him and placed his hands on his chest.

Vincent leaned down –

There was a knock at the front door. "Hey Cloud, it's me, Zack!"

Vincent growled and made to step away, but Cloud held on.

"I just wanted to tell you," continued Zack through the wood of the front door, "that I haven't left for Gongaga yet – well obviously, otherwise I wouldn't be here talking to you – "

"He's an imbecile," Vincent grumbled.

"I heard that you were kidnapped by some monster or something...? Well anyway, just want to let you know that your brothers are at my town house so, don't worry too much, though the skinny one with the long hair is looking a bit green. Um, yeah. Also, sorry we haven't spoken much since our little outing; been a bit distracted, I guess. Yeah so, catch you later!"

After a moment, in which it was obvious by the silence that Zack had left, Cloud let go of Vincent. "Did you make all those things in the house happen?" asked Cloud, referring to the lights and wind and blood coming out of the taps.

Vincent's eyes flickered down to the floor, looking abashed. It was kind of... cute. "Maybe."

"And did you come into my dreams?"

"It was a power loaned to me by the Crisis from the Sky."

Cloud pulled a hand through his blonde hair. "You mean Jenova?"

Vincent nodded.

Cloud bit his lip to prevent his smile. "Were you jealous of Zack?"

Vincent sighed.

"You needn't be; it was only one date."

Vincent turned to the window and looked outside. "One date too many." He abruptly turned again and walked out the kitchen and into the foyer, then headed for the back door under the stairs. Cloud wrapped the two lunch boxes in material and followed Vincent outside.

"I'd forgotten how beautiful snow could be," murmured Vincent when Cloud came to join him. "So blinding white and consuming, yet sparkling silver and pure." He turned to Cloud. "Grab onto to me and hold on tight."

"What?"

Vincent put his arms around Cloud once again and Cloud held on. Like magic Vincent's red cloak expanded and wrapped around them, flowing. And then Cloud realised that they were airborne, even if he could not see the sky. It was like being in a thick read compartment flying through the air.

They landed and Cloud was rewarded his vision again. They were on a grey cliff: Mount Nibel.

"The thing I most missed while sleeping," said Vincent softly, stepping to the edge, "was the sunset."

It was stunning, Cloud considered. All gold wash and red streaks. It was even more beautiful to look at from up high in the mountains.

He sat down on the ground and opened his sushi lunchbox. "Are you hungry?"

Vincent glanced at him, hesitating. Then he came over, sat next to Cloud and accepted the food.

"If I were you," said Cloud, gesturing with chopsticks, "I'd be starving, what with being stuck in a coffin for three decades."

Vincent cautiously took his chopsticks and picked up a nori roll. Then he ate it.

"So why were you in there, anyway?" asked Cloud.

"I knew a beautiful lady," said Vincent enigmatically.

Cloud had not thought it was possible for him to meet someone who talked less than he himself did. He raised his eyebrows. "And?"

"She was experimented on by Hojo, I intervened, he did this to me... and put me to sleep."

Cloud turned towards the sunset in regret. "I'm sorry. He was my father – "

"It's not your fault. You are nothing like him, and are therefore slowly but surely reversing the sins of the father."

"I suppose you could look at it like that. So, what happened to your 'beautiful lady'?"

"She died fifteen years ago."

"Oh... but how do you know that if you've been asleep for longer than that?"

There was a pause. "I got the information from your brother's mind," Vincent said eventually.

"What – which brother? And what was her name?"

"From Yazoo. But Cloud, it no longer matters who she was and how she died. What matters is that she and Hojo are in the Lifestream."

Cloud had wanted to walk back to the mansion, though he had briefly regretted the decision half-way down the mountain when he shivered from the cold. Vincent wrapped him in his cloak and kept him warm after that.

They silently entered the mansion. Then Cloud kissed him hard and passionately.

He took Vincent's hand and led him to his room. They kissed again, then Vincent pulled off Cloud's jumper and shirt, leaning down to kiss the sensitive skin of Cloud's neck.

The fingers of Vincent's right hand lingered on the waistband of Cloud's trousers before Cloud pulled away. "Wait," gasped Cloud, "wait right here. Don't move, I'll be back in a moment!"

Cloud half-ran out of the bedroom and into the bathroom. There he stopped and braced himself of the sink, eyes wide and breath coming out in gasps. He looked into the mirror and barely recognised himself. He was flushed, lips red and hair more dishevelled than usual.

"Okay, Cloud," he whispered to himself, "you can do this, you're twenty-three, it's about time you lost your virginity, Loz has been teasing you about it for ages. Argh! Don't think about Loz! Right, gorgeous man in bedroom, gorgeous man in bedroom..."

Cloud looked around for something that could be used for lubricant and spotted Yazoo's extra strength (and extra creamy) hair conditioner. It was expensive stuff but Yazoo had loads of it at his hair salon back in Midgar, surely he wouldn't miss it...

He went back into the bedroom. Vincent had not moved, as per Cloud's request. Cloud silently placed the hair conditioner on the bedside table, then slowly walked back to Vincent, who was watching him intently.

Vincent gently pulled him close and kissed him again. He did not ask where Cloud had gone; he kissed and touched, and undressed. A little later he gently placed Cloud on the bed and made love to him.

The sunset burned like fire before dieing down behind the mountains. Even in winter, and with the reactor amongst the cliffs, one wild flower grew on Mount Nibel.

It was lush and fragrant, its petals soft and creamy and the stem hard, quivering in the breeze. In the centre was a dusting of gold pollen, soft to the touch and even sweet to the tongue.

"Brother!" Kadaj burst into a sleeping Cloud's room and jumped on top of him, hugging him tight. "I missed you! Oh, I was so worried!"

Loz and Yazoo walked in. "The door was open when we went to check this morning," Yazoo told Cloud. He frowned. "What is my hair conditioner doing on the floor?"

Loz raised his eyebrow. "Come on Kadaj, you better give Cloud some privacy so he can get dressed."

Cloud sat up. "Where's Vincent?"

Loz shrugged. "Long gone; well, he's not in the mansion, we checked."

Kadaj kissed Cloud on the cheek. "Merry Christmas, Brother," he said, before getting off the bed and following Loz and Yazoo out.

Cloud stared at the wall for a moment.

Vincent was gone.

Cloud bit his lip and tried not to cry.

They exchanged presents over breakfast. Cloud had gotten CDs from Kadaj, a Materia box from Loz, and an indoor flower growing kit from Yazoo. There was also a very large present under the Christmas tree that was from Zack. It was the unmistakable shape of a large sword.

_It was mine, used in the Wutai War,_ the card said. _I have no real use for it now, but I have a feeling you'll enjoy it. Yours, Zack._ Cloud unwrapped and picked up the Buster Sword, admiring its weight and hard edge.

There was no present, or even a note, from Vincent. Cloud choked down his disappointment.

"This house feels so peaceful, suddenly," said Loz.

"Really?" said Kadaj. "It just feels empty and boring to me."

Later, Cloud and Yazoo prepared Christmas lunch. "Do you want to talk?" asked Yazoo.

Cloud put down his carving knife. "I want to know what happened to you yesterday."

There was a pause as Yazoo washed and dried his hands. He finally stopped fiddling and got the courage to look Cloud in the eye. "I always thought," Yazoo began softly, "that Loz was weak because he could not remember, that Father had done such a good job of erasing his memory. But I realise, I'm the weak one, because I can't let go, I can't get on with my life.

"I can't let go of the fact that, because of Father, we're not completely human. You... hear her voice, don't you?"

Jenova, thought Cloud. Her voice was quiet and feeble, yet resentful. He had always thought everyone could hear her – his brothers could, anyway, so weren't they normal?

"We're not normal," said Cloud slowly.

"No," agreed Yazoo. "Hojo grew us up in labs and we slept on lab tables. You rescued us from a military school for clones."

Cloud closed his eyes. "We're not clones."

"Then what do you call us? What are we?" He looked at Cloud with eyes imploring and wet with unshed tears.

"We're... us, Yazoo. We're you, me, Loz and Kadaj. We don't need a label to make us who we are."

"That's very wise," said Yazoo. "It sounds like something Mother used to say."

"Jenova?"

Yazoo laughed bitterly. "No, my real mother – Lucrecia."

Kadaj walked in. "Lunch ready yet?" he whined. "I'm starving!"

"We sleep, we argue, we get hungry," Cloud told Yazoo. "Seems pretty normal to me."

Yazoo smirked at him, Cloud half-smiled back.

 

 

* * *

**Chapter 5: Beginning**

* * *

 

 

Kadaj's hair was as fine and silver as the silk web of a Cosmo spider. Cloud ran his hands through it, pulling it away from the boy's brow. He gently pulled the comb through the healthy strands. Kadaj hissed when the comb snagged a small knot.

"You're terrible at this," Kadaj told Cloud. "I want Yazoo to do it." He glared at Cloud's reflection in the mirror.

Cloud put the comb down and curled his arms around Kadaj's waist from behind. He rested his chin on the teenager's shoulder. "But I like brushing your hair."

They looked at each other through the mirror. "You've been very sentimental recently, Brother," Kadaj commented. "Have you got brain cancer or something? Only got one month to live, or whatever?"

It had been three months since the brothers left the Shinra Mansion, and Cloud missed the old, cold house. It stood in the little town as empty and dark as the shell of a dead carcass. Now they were back in Midgar preparing for a function held by the Shinra Company.

"I love you, that's all," Cloud admitted with effort. He kissed Kadaj's cheek and Kadaj's eyes widened. His face screwed up in child-like disgust and he poked his tongue out.

"Ew, _way_ too sentimental!" There was a pause as Cloud picked up the comb and continued his ministrations. Kadaj said, "Why do I have to go to this thing, anyway? I don't want to go to a stupid Shinra party so you and Yazoo can suck up to a bunch of stupid Shinra high-ups and Loz can get stupidly drunk on stupid free grog. Stupid bastards; I hate Shinra!"

"The princess of Wutai will be there," Cloud told him.

"Yeah, and...?" Kadaj scoffed.

"And she's your age, and the rumour is she's very vivacious and beautiful."

Kadaj hesitated, his mouth opening, then shutting, then twisting into a frown. Vivacious and beautiful girls were very much Kadaj's thing.

"I'll go," said Kadaj, "on the grounds that you get Yazoo to do my hair."

"Deal," Cloud said, and left the bedroom. He found Yazoo in his own bedroom, his back to the door, fiddling with the buttons of his shirt. "Kadaj wants you to do his hair," Cloud told him.

Yazoo turned around to face him, his long hair swaying with the movement. He smoothed his hands down his dark red shirt. "How do I look?" Yazoo asked.

Cloud looked him up and down. Yazoo was thin, his clothes well-fitted and his hair soft... and yes, Cloud conceded, he was very beautiful. "You look... fine. What does it matter what I think? Kadaj needs you right now."

There was a flicker of something angry and hurt in Yazoo's eyes before Cloud turned away.

Next he went to Loz's room. Loz was busy slapping men's perfume on his neck. He was smirking to himself in the mirror, humming a happy tune. He hadn't noticed Cloud in the doorway yet.

The humming turned to actual words as Loz fixed his hair with gel. "Oh Tifa," he sang, "you came and you gave me a something, oh why did you something, oh Tifa."

Cloud raised his eyebrow and moved on to his own room, feeling slightly disturbed.

He went through all the motions – brushed his hair, fixed his shirt, his trousers, put perfume on. Afterwards he stared at himself in the mirror for a long time. He was still; the only movement was the rapid blinking of his eyes and the clenching of his jaw, his throat working silently. He stood there, even when his brothers left their respective rooms and Kadaj was asking Loz loudly if Wutaian girls were hot and Loz saying that yes, Wutaian girls are definitely pussycats in hot-girl form.

Three months, thought Cloud. _Three months._

He closed his eyes and turned away from the mirror, wondering what parts of himself he could change so he would never be left behind again.

The function was low-key at first, with the guests mingling in small groups and their voices polite and low. It got louder as more people arrived and alcohol was consumed. Each person was announced at the door by a bored looking door-boy.

Once Mrs Tifa Lockhart, owner of Seventh Heaven bar was announced, the brunette looked around the room, caught sight of Cloud and made a beeline for him.

"I wasn't going to come," she admitted quietly, "but I heard you and Barret would be here, so I decided to satisfy my curiosity."

"Yeah, me too," said Cloud, handing her a glass of white wine.

She smiled. "Hello boys, how are you?"

"Well, thank you," answered Yazoo.

"Bored," groaned Kadaj.

"Much better now you're here," Loz gushed.

Tifa blinked at him. "Well I... thank you Loz, that's very sweet."

The five of them stayed in a tight group at the drinks table for a short while, not particularly interested in talking to strangers. Kadaj perked up suddenly when the door-boy announced, "The Wutaian Princess Yuffie, and her guard of Ninja."

It had to be the most spectacular entrance of the night. Drums beat as men dressed all in ninja garb somersaulted in. Then ninjas held a platform on which a girl dressed in a long traditional kimono sat, her face hidden by a decretive fan. She was lowered to the ground.

The Shinra president, a fat, blonde, balding man walked forward and took the princess's hand and kissed it, blubbering at her about how much he was glad she could come.

Kadaj stepped forward away from his brothers, his lips parted and his eyes wide. "Wow," he gasped, "she's _awesome!_ "

The ninjas stepped back and stood guard at the edges of the room. The majority of the guests were too intimidated to approach Yuffie for conversation – she was dressed strangely and her demeanour seemed coy yet snobbish, and besides, she had too many men watching the room for threatening people.

But Kadaj was not scared of any of this. He walked towards her, determined, yet when he actually got to her it was obvious to Cloud that he was completely speechless.

He finally said something; Cloud was too far away to hear what it was. The princess's eyes crinkled in laughter and she pulled the fan away from her face. She was grinning up at him. Kadaj held out his arm and said something else. This made her laugh outright, and it was a shock to hear her laughter: it was loud and carried across the room and sounded suspiciously like "YAK YAK YAK YAK."

She put her arm through his, took a step forward with him, then half-tripped over the folds of her kimono.

Yazoo turned to Cloud and raised his eyebrow. "Well that was entertaining," he drawled. "I'll see you later; I've just seen someone across the room I rather like the look of."

"Who?" asked Cloud.

"Mr Spunky Red-Head, eleven o'clock." Yazoo turned away but Cloud grabbed his arm.

"Be careful," Cloud murmured, watching the object of Yazoo's desire sip from his glass of champagne and glance surreptitiously in their direction. "That guy's a Shinra Turk."

Yazoo rolled his eyes and pulled his arm away. "I just want to ask him who his hairdresser is; with hair like that it's obvious I have competition in this city." Yazoo, owner of Fifth Element Hair Studio, turned his back on Cloud and made his way towards the Turk.

Cloud made a face and turned to exchange a glance with Loz – only his older brother wasn't there. A quick look around and Cloud saw Loz had dragged Tifa to the entrée table and was feeding her a chocolate-covered strawberry. She was laughing, a hand pressed to his chest.

Cloud sighed and took a sip of his red wine.

"Yo, bitch," said a deep voice from behind him.

Cloud turned around and smiled at Barret. He was wearing an expensive suit with the collar open, and bling-bling jewellery shining against his chest.

"I wasn't gonna come to this shin-dig," Barret told Cloud gruffly. "This is probably Shinra's idea of a bad joke: get all the owners of Midgar's businesses together then blow this joint."

Cloud shrugged. "They can't blow up the building while the president is still in it."

Barret grabbed a glass of wine and slugged it down in two gulps. "That's why you gotta keep one eye on the boss and the other on the Babylon. Yeah, so why you weepin', yo?"

Cloud looked at him. "Pardon me?"

Barret gesticulated. "Every time I see you I look at your face and I see the sadness in your eyes."

"I'm fine," Cloud lied.

Barret harrumphed, then said, "I ain't worried about the Shinras bustin' a cap in my arse – I got myself some muscle."

Cloud glanced at Barret's large, meaty arms. "I can see that."

The large man saw the look Cloud gave him and shook his head. "No, bitch, no. I mean I got myself some _hired_ muscle." He leaned sideways a bit so he could talk quietly in Cloud's ear. "One of the best, yo, straight from Shinra. Says he quit the business when they didn't pay him right. He's expensive but he can hit a straight bull's eye a mile away."

"Really, a mile?" Cloud murmured.

"Yeah he's the quiet type, jus' like you. I'll introduce you – you'll get along well. Yo!" he shouted, turning. He waved to someone at the edge of the room. "I want you to meet a buddy of mine."

Cloud turned towards the drink table to pick up another, then turned again to greet Barret's bodyguard – only to freeze in his place, and almost dropped his glass.

Vincent watched him with piercing red eyes. It was so surreal seeing him in a crowded, well-lit room, wearing his red cloak but also wearing a black suit and burgundy shirt underneath.

Barret slapped Vincent on the shoulder. "Cloud, this is my main man – "

"We've met," Cloud interrupted, eyes on Vincent.

Vincent glanced away from Cloud's gaze, then flickered back again. "Cloud," he said smoothly, as way of greeting.

"Hello," said Cloud coldly.

"Ah..." said Barret, watching them uncertainly. "I'll jus' leave you two alone and chat up Tifa." Cloud and Vincent paid him no mind as he walked away.

"You don't look well," Vincent said, after a moment.

Cloud's lips tightened. "Thank you kindly for you bluntness."

Vincent tilted his head slightly. "I only say that because I care about you."

Cloud was momentarily lost for words, his eyes narrow and suspicious. "Three months," he whispered gruffly. Then louder, " _Three months._ " He made to turn away, but Vincent grabbed him with his gold claw. Cloud paused and looked down at it, then back up at Vincent, brisling. "Let go of me."

"I thought about you every day," Vincent told him, then slowly let go of Cloud. "It killed me to leave you."

"Then why did you?" Cloud demanded. Their voices were still low and dangerous.

"Because I –"

"Ladies and gentlemen!" the Shinra president's voice suddenly boomed from the speakers. "If I could please have you attention!"

"Cloud," Vincent half-whispered, "I want you."

Cloud closed his eyes and turned away.

"Now that I have you attention," said the president, "I can tell you why I invited you all to this function tonight." He was standing on a podium, his son on one side and the politician Palmer on the other. "You are all the owners of great and successful businesses... and their guests, of course, ha ha. Shinra would like to offer you all the chance of your business lifetime..."

"I never thought," Vincent began softly, "that you would fall for me. I saw you through my mind – I saw you walk into the mansion and I knew then that I wanted you."

Cloud frowned, his eyes still closed. "Stop talking," he whispered breathlessly.

"I would have taken you whether or not you wanted to be taken," Vincent continued. "To have you reciprocate – I never believed that could happen."

Shinra men started threading through the crowd, handing out blue plastic folders. The Shinra president said, "My executives are handing out business plans as I speak. Please read through and consider the opportunities we are offering."

There was a murmur around the room as people discussed the plans between each other. Cloud barely paid it any mind, even when a blue folder was placed into his hands. "What are you saying?" asked Cloud softly, slowly.

Vincent placed the fingertips of his right hand against Cloud's jaw and gently turned Cloud's face towards his own. Cloud opened his eyes.

"I left because I was worth nothing," Vincent explained. "I wanted to have you, take care of you, be someone you could be proud of."

"I liked you just the way you were," Cloud told him honestly.

"Perhaps you did, then. But understand that it would eventually not be enough. I had to leave and find my place in the world: find work, an apartment, learn to live in a community again."

Cloud turned to face him properly and Vincent's hand dropped. "Why didn't let me help you?"

Vincent looked sad. "I'm sure you know as well as I do that to find yourself in the world, you must do it alone. I'm sorry I left without telling you, but I am terrible at goodbyes. You fell asleep in my arms and I watched you for hours. I couldn't wake you up, Cloud. It was too painful."

Cloud hesitantly placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't do that to me again."

Vincent put hands on Cloud's waist and pulled him close, his cloak wrapping around them. "I promise."

"I hate to break up the moment," said Barret loudly, "but have you even had a _glance_ at this fucking piece of shit, Cloud?"

Cloud pulled away and looked at the folder in his hand. It had his name and company name (Strife Delivery Service) on the front. He opened it and had a quick read. There was a lot of jargon and complicated sentences that needn't be complicated, but the idea was...

"Shinra wants to buy us out," said Cloud, detached.

"Fuckin' yeah, they want to buy us out, those sons of bitches!"

"Mr Wallace," said Vincent, "perhaps you should not sell them your company."

"No shit, Sherlock, I ain't selling _nothin'_ to those money-grabbin', gold-diggin' – not my oil company, no way. And don't you even think about it!" he added to Cloud. "I seen you look at the price they payin'!"

Cloud glanced around the room and couldn't find his brothers anywhere. He sighed. "I'm not about to sell my business, Barret."

"Good!" the dark man barked. "Then let's take some boos and get the hell outta here!"

"Wait a moment," said Cloud, spotting Kadaj on the dance floor with the clumsy Wutaian princess. He walked over to Kadaj, who looked a little annoyed at being interrupted.

"I'm going to Barret's place," Cloud told him. "Ride home safely."

Kadaj smirked. "Don't I always? Have fun, Brother."

Cloud left in a taxi with Barret and Vincent. Barret was in the front; Vincent crept his hand across the back middle seat, searching for Cloud's and Cloud allowed him to hold his hand. The bright lights of Midgar flashed across the glass.

They entered Barret's apartment and found a young girl asleep on the couch and little Marlene sitting on the floor watching midnight television. "Papa!" she exclaimed, running towards Barret. "I didn't mean to stay up late, honest!"

The girl on the couch awoke and apologised profusely for sleeping on her babysitting job. Barret paid her and slammed the door behind her.

"I'm gonna put Marlene to bed," Barret told Cloud. "There's beer in the fridge, help yourself."

"That's very generous of him," Cloud murmured when Barret left the room.

"I suspect it's not very good quality," said Vincent. He placed his hand on the back on Cloud's neck, then gently pulled away. "Thirsty?" he asked.

"No," said Cloud. He watched Vincent head towards the balcony doors, then followed him.

It was a strangely clear night, considering the pollution in Midgar usually covered the stars. "Are you staying here tonight?" asked Cloud.

Vincent wound his arms around Cloud's waist from behind. "I go wherever Mr Wallace goes. I rarely sleep and so am able to guard him and his daughter all the time."

Cloud exhaled shakily as lips were pressed to the back of his neck. "You work hard."

"I missed you so much," Vincent whispered in his ear. "Your smell, the feel of you... are you staying here tonight?"

"What do you think?" asked Cloud rhetorically. He turned in Vincent's arms and kissed him softly.

"I think," purred Vincent against his lips, "there is nothing more I would love than for you to stay with me tonight, and every other night."

"So long as you don't leave," murmured Cloud. He leant forward and kissed him passionately.

When the world is full of monsters, perhaps the best thing to do is love one. Cloud pressed into Vincent and moaned lowly; Vincent was like a Bolt spell burning through Cloud's stomach and crackling at this throat. The wind and darkness wrapped around them like a ghost, and if the mansion beckoned, they heard nothing but their pulses in sync.

**End.**


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